I will keep this post short. Recently we posted that the reported demise (and ensuing celebration) of American Chopperwas a bit premature. It appears that our favorite juicing bike builder, Paul Teutul Sr., wasn’t quite done with the limelight, despite sending Orange County Choppers merchandising into bankruptcy, alienating two of his sons, and generally making motorcyclists look like a bunch of neanderthal’s with tribal tattoos, leather pants, and sleeveless shirts (we call it the Chopper Trifecta).

No, it seems someone told Paul Sr.that he should give the small screen another shot, and the Country Music Television (CMT) wanted to oblige — for reasons still not fully understood by this author. The catch though was that Paul Sr. needed a compatriot — someone to focus his mercurial temper upon, and you know…to do the actual building of the bikes. With over a month now lost in that pursuit, OCC has yet to find someone desperate enough for TV stardom to fill the spot. Huzzah!

Maybe the potential candidates saw footage from the old show, and decided to steer clear. Maybe Paul Sr.’s standards are just beyond reach by mortal man. Or maybe, just maybe, there is hope for humanity, and the stars have aligned to keep American Chopper off our TV screens. Fingers crossed people. Links for the job position have been omitted from this article on purpose.

you may look down at American Chopper but in an industry that is the lifeblood of your pay check you might want to view the additional mainstream popularity of custom motorcycle building with a little bit more optimism

Slangbuster

The new series will be called ‘Rehab Chopper” and star, Charlie Sheene, Brittney Speers and Paul Sr. The new show will begin filming as soon as Speers completes her latest jail term for violating probation. The theme of the first episode will focus on Paul Sr finding former students who beat him up in high school.

paulus – Thailand

… I am with Mr Beeler Influence and perception work in two directions, positive and negative.

This show/biking representative is far from a positive endorsement of biking.

Keith

GOOD, keep that guy off the boob tube. They built JUNK…had guys in shop class that could run a better bead with a cracker box when I went. Choppers? It’s butt jewelry people, utterly impractical for anything but bar hopping and showing off your poor taste and other short comings.

I’d much rather watch a show about guys restoring old Honda Hawks or building a café bike…what they built was for enhancing the kneadall phallus, too much money and no brains crowd. Good riddance to bad rubbish.

Faust

Alexssss

Don’t try to infer that the extremely brief popularity did anything to benefit motorcycling at large. The fad came and went, and what was added to the motorcycle community? A bunch of people who value form and fashion over function and who hate the rest of us for having the audacity to ride a bike that actually offers performance at a reasonable price? I for one am not sad to see that disaster off the air. The fact that this niche group of motorcycles and their enthusiasts popped up in response to reality TV and then went away when it was no longer “cool”, tells me all I need to know. The only other segment in motorcycling that is so focused on appearance and fashion is the cafe racer/hipster scene. Motorcycles are not fashion accessories….well, they aren’t to motorcyclists anyway.

Vulture

Faust

I too feel that OCC was a poor representation of the motorcycling community. However, it is a little presumptuous to state that only cafe racer / hipsters, and choppers are fashion accessories. No matter what anyone will tell you, we all look at our bikes as a time machine, space ship, status enhancer, or expression of who we think we are or who we wish we were. I know it sounds corny and a little too deep but I think everyone thinks they are just a little cooler when they pull on their helmet and go for a ride.

http://www.asphaltandrubber.com Jensen Beeler

I want an industry with more motorcyclists, and fewer bikes. Infer from that as you see fit.

Gritboy

Another TV show. That’ll be floater in the bowl. 0.o

TexusTim

two wheek tueday ?maybe with josh hayes this time? just sayin it wasnt that bad and it had races all day even if there were a week old it made it more accessable, but as long as they keep roadracing on premium cable and not even show the american rounds on local channels the idiots in charge will keep runing the tuttle crap at us forever,,,they couldnt be more out of touch. and dorna should see that trying to make big bucks in the states with boradcast is keeping it from getting a larger fan base..they need to consider is that more important than having it really” catch hold” here. that isnt a typo I meant two week…thats why they finally canned it. and then speed ran every type of reality show that wasnt about anything real…lol… that term is such a catch all. there was one that went up and then pulled down that I thouhgt might promote track days…remember it was called “forum wars” were they would take two rival forum personalitys and match them at whatever racing forum they were on…now if they would have taken that the right direction that mught have been interesting but it flopped. but wouldnt thata be cool to see some big shot rich as forum hater that brags about his lap times that his girlfriend with a stop watch gave him a better time than by a transponder and then an old man like me that puts his head down and turns respectable lap times and match them at the so called fast track of the stopwatch girlfriend helper and wax there asses..now I want to see that and could take that over the nation at all the different sanctioned club races..the backdrop would be it would add many fans to a sport that really needs to get promoted better.

proudAmerican

The Teutels were in vogue at a very low point in American motorcycling history–a time when every cruiser rider was trying to win bragging rights for having the loudest exhaust pipes in the world. Those tools didn’t give a damn about the damage they were causing our hobby, turning millions of non-motorcylists into motorcycle haters. Their blanket statement was always a defiant, “Loud Pipes Save Lives.” Really? Then point those suckers forward if that shit really works–like the air horn on a fire truck! And it affected all of us–we now live with more anti-motorcyle legislation thanks to those a$$holes.

Good riddance to Paul Sr–The Steroid Clown.

And good riddance to the selfish (My Exhaust Pipes are Louder than Yours–So My Penis Must be Bigger Too!) fools who squandered their home equity (hey, the kids don’t need college anyway) on a super long, super low, super loud, super stupid motorcycle that was in fashion for about, oh, six minutes.

http://www.bikewriter.com Mark Gardiner

I very much doubt that CMT’s problem is a dearth of applicants. In 21st C America, where fame is the new money (and in the 500 channel universe where the bar for ‘fame’ is set pretty low) there are, literally, millions of people who’d jump at the chance to be Teutel’s foil. CMT’s received hundreds if not thousands of video applications, none of which will even be considered; don’t worry, they’ll pick some suitable C-lister. Perhaps someone rejected from that ‘Splash’ show.

Many forget that Paul Sr. was a Ducatisti. He and OCC were a Ducati dealer. Strange but true. The show was never really about bikes, choppers, or motorcycles, but the family dynamic between Sr. and Jr. As much as I don’t care for the bikes per se, I think the show helped create a lot of builders, tinkerers, and riders in general. A lot of folks thinking if the Teutals can slap something together than so can I.

Mikeg81

“And good riddance to the selfish (My Exhaust Pipes are Louder than Yours–So My Penis Must be Bigger Too!) fools who squandered their home equity (hey, the kids don’t need college anyway) on a super long, super low, super loud, super stupid motorcycle that was in fashion for about, oh, six minutes.”

I hear you. If I see another slammed and stretched ZX14 or ‘Busa, I’ll lose my mind!

Wait, what?

smiler

They should join forces with boyd coddington for hillbilly heaven custom wrecks.

Chaz Michael Michaels

I understand the hard feelings towards the Teutuls and their OCC show.–a show that chronicles the stupid crap the Teutuls think and do under the guise that it’s representative of what people who ride motorcycles are all about.

But itsn’t it too easy to tee off on them? Everyone knows they’re ordinary idiots. Let them just fade away off the radar screen with no fanfare.

I think you gotta give the viewing public more credit. People just tune this crap out.

Smitty

“Motorcycles are not fashion accessories….well, they aren’t to motorcyclists anyway.”

Perfect.

D. Hill

I cancelled cable (and popular culture) in 2001. Did I miss something?

iLike2Ride

I admit, I liked watching them when they started. It was because they were the only show next to Jesse James about motorcycle. Shows like these draw people into the motorcycle world. I ended up buying a Ducati and rode the PCH. I knew the OCC/cruiser styling was not for me. people will make that determination. Bottom line is that it gives youths, an insight into the wonderful world of motorcycle. Here is an idea for a new show, only build bikes for charity or a good cause: troops, inner city programs, boys and girls club, etc.. OCC done something like this on their show, the best thing that came from the show, smiles on kids. oooooh aaaaah

alexssss

Faust says: nothing

When you work hard enough to warrant a tv show of any kind and then produce the kind of content that supports a tv show of any mention, get back to us with you opinion. I know people smarter and more well connected than you including those working directly for networks that can’t produce a real reality show based on motorcycles.

Fact : The last episode had 2 million viewers on its premier, your comments have 2

proudAmerican

alexssss–

“…that can’t produce a real reality show…”

A real reality show? Thanks, that gave me a good laugh. You said that with such conviction, I almost believed you were serious.

Nerve

Next up are occ’s imitators: anyone here ever suffered through an episode of those German brother’s junkyard sale ? Next to that occ was like watching a Kubrick flick.

prich

Mr. Beeler is correct. the OCC side show to motorcycling hasn’t done anything to forward the motorcycle movement. They don’t matter to our community, as OCC-type bikers are on to the next big thing – pimping out their RVs. it’s all the road and roid rage.

Sactown998

I too could not care less about $75,000+ Choppers. I ride an 08 FZ1(my 1st bike). What I admired was the “skill and construction” from the shows “rank and file,” not the DRAMA of the family. Last weekend I saw 60s style choppers and Bobbers at the Dixon, CA Antique Show/Swap Meet. Yes, some were long or low and even rust buckets, but the builders/owners had a vision and they went after it. It was a great slice of nostalgia.

Not something I’d care to ride, but fun to look at. I would watch a weekly documentary on how to build a bike. The public wants soap operas.

Faust

Vulture

I think I agree with you. Perhaps I was too rash in singling out choppers and hipsters. There’s some on the Sportbike scene who are just as bad. My apologies if I offended.

And Jensen, your comment sums it up perfectly.

Faust

alexssss

lol, you mad bro? I criticized a show and you launch into personal attacks? Did I strike a nerve??? LOL!!! I said nothing attacking you personally, yet somehow you take offense that people think the chopper scene is stupid? Ok, so how raked out is the front end on your bike? How the hell do you know how smart or “well connected” I am, and why does that matter in the context of this post? Stop being butthurt because people don’t like OCC, and get over it. The custom chopper scene is DEAD no matter how mad you get, internet tough guy!

SquidleyMcSquidson

@Alex

Are you for real? Ok, so let me get this straight….you are defending OCC on a thread titled “Maybe there is hope for humanity after all?” which clearly is referencing that there is hope because the show is gone….and the web URL says kill it with fire….and there’s a pic of a gorgon/hydra head referncing that it keeps coming back no matter how much people try to kill it? Are you just a troll? Because if not, you’re pretty absurd.

Damo

“When you work hard enough to warrant a tv show of any kind”

Paul is that you?

jet

I really would enjoy it if they brought it back.With the lack and crap thats now on i welcome the Tuttles back.Who really here wants to watch those idiots w/ the M/C Clubs shows ! really.I want drama and beautiful bikes.Motogp has me sleeping and you know what nascar is more enjoyable,except FIM SuperBike there just extreme w/ great riding…

And the list of dead scene resources goes on and on and on tens of thousands of different outlets from tv shows, newspapers, magazines, blogs, forums, groups, clubs, industries, podcasts and movies to name a few. Which are all populated and paid for by people who dont exist.

What you say is dead is bigger and more popular than ever – but facts don’t matter to you, nor does how much money and employment OCC generated for the motorcycle industry, nor how many riders many of whom are law makers creating better conditions for riders.

The fact is you have none, just your opinion which is backed by nothing and you can do nothing to counter except make ridiculous and untrue statements.

alexssss

luckily a whole new generation of shops and custom bike owners were created riding off the coat tails of that exposure and claiming to do a superior job for people that want something different than mainstream.

haters fail

Faust

Alexssss, are you obsessed with me? Nobody cares about stupid custom choppers. Why all the statements directed at me? Jensen writes a hugely anti-chopper article, Slangbuster makes some very anti-OCC comments, paulus says that it is “far from a positive endorsement of biking”, Keith says “good ridance to bad rubbish”, Vulture says it’s a poor representation of the community, Gritboy likens it to human excrement, ProudAmerican went on a mini-tirade about how awful OCC was, and so on and so on. Did you read any of the comments here? Or the article? Yet you insist on calling me (and me only) out and trying to convince me that people like choppers. They don’t. Nobody likes them. All of the magazines you referenced are stupid, and nobody reads them.

Yet since you want facts, lets talk about that. Here’s some logic for you. You claim the scene is more popular than ever? Then why did OCC file for bankruptcy? How about Big Bear Choppers? Why did West Coast Choppers close up in 2010? (although Jesse is trying to make a come back) What happened to Big Dog Choppers? Yeah, business is booming! Wow, they are all doing SOOOOOO WELL! Unless you’ve been living in a cave, you’d have to know that the small displacement market segments have risen dramatically in the past few years. People want inexpensive bikes that are fun to rideand can be used to commute on, not a slow hunk of chrome that costs more than a full college education. No matter how angry you get at me, or how much you WISH choppers didn’t fall out of style, it doesn’t matter! There’s nothing you can do about it! Keep on posting hatred at me, who cares! By the way, can you give me a rough estimate on the amount of money you’ve invested in leather chaps over the years? I’m just curious. I bet it’s a lot.

proudAmerican

Faust–Sorry dude, looks like he has your number only. :-))

alexssss–You really wrote that the custom chopper scene is “bigger and more popular than ever” ????

Oh Dorothy, you need to click your heels and wake up from that dream. You’re still stuck in 2003.

JCB

This is classic. Almost Norton Commando classic. Keep is going Faust. Alex just needs to throw up on his 2003 Compaq keyboard some more.

The reality is any sensible motorcyclist knows for the cost of that bling bucket, you could have a Panigale R, Multistrada, a Hypermotard, and a few track bikes if you really walked into OCC and knew what motorcycles were.

Good riddance to Spider-Man’s chopper.

Faust

JCB

At least somebody has a sense of humor around here, lol

Kathy

Faust

You forgot another fad niche scene is all Ducati superbike buyers/riders. That scene is a huge joke too.

Kathy

The custom chopper scene is so dead! And I hope he new breed groups of posers who buy Ducati sportbikes die out too.

Damo

@Kathy

“You forgot another fad niche scene is all Ducati superbike buyers/riders. That scene is a huge joke too.”

Any expensive bike is often used as butt jewelry (same with GS riders), but you can’t say “all” in this sense.

Tons of Ducatis get used adn abused daily at the track all across North America, but custom choppers exist SOLELY for poseurs.